My Kitchen Dilemma Was Answered by {Centsational Girl} !

Have you ever had a decorating problem that you just couldn't figure out? 

You've scratched your head over and over and you just can't seem to find an answer to?  The problem is baffling and the space just bothers you every day?

You walk around in your home feeling like this....

?????????????????

And the problem is:

A room that has an awkward shape and you have difficulty arranging the furniture...

or..

A wall with a light switch right in the middle of it and you need to place a big piece of furniture there....

or..

A kitchen with a bazillion midtoned wood cabinets and a forest green wall color that needs updating?

Wow!  That last one is MY problem!!

Lotsa wood:

...and more wood! (and check out these flowery pendant lights...wow!)

....and 'unique' gold and brown metallic Aztec/Sante Fe accent tiles in the backsplash:

So what's a girl to do when she has a major decorating problem like this?  Usually she ask her friends/family, asks her husband (or not!), asks her awesome blog/facebook followers (that part's coming!) or ....asks the True Value Facebook Blog Squad!!

Yes, that's what I did!  Yesterday, I received some decorating advice on my kitchen dilemma from the fantabulous Kate at {Centsational Girl}, on the True Value Facebook site.

As a True Value Blog Squad member she was giving FREE advice for the day!  How cool is that?

So I buckled my seatbelt and asked Kate this question:

Hi Kate!! This is a 3 part question! 1. I was wondering if you could give me a paint color suggestion for my kitchen walls...I just moved and I love my home but my kitchen is a 'wall of wood'!! Lots of mid-toned birch wood cabinets in a 'hazelnut' stain (looks like a caramel brown colored stain)...they are really good quality cabinets and we won't be replacing them soon, but I need to paint the walls to make the space more up to date (walls are currently forest green color). I was thinking of maybe grey, but not sure if that would compliment the caramel brown hazelnut stained cabinetry or not, and not sure if a lighter grey or darker grey would be the answer. Do you have any wall paint color suggestions? (The floors and backsplash are a beige tile) 2. I would also like to redo the backsplash (4 inch square beige tiles)...is there anything I could put on top of the current tile backsplash to cover it or would we have to remove the tile first? I also have a mid toned wood kitchen pedestle table with 6 wheat sheaf chairs, should I stain them a walnut/espresso brown color or paint them white/off-white? Thanks for your help!

Here is here answer!:

Hi Heather, I like the idea to paint your walls a neutral gray but you have to pay attention to undertones, sometimes the undertones in grays can clash with the undertones in your beige tiles and countertops. If anything, I'd look for a pale taupe color, which is a crossover between gray and beige, one that will play well with your existing beiges. As for your chairs, with all that wood, I recommend a crisp white or a bright hue, the chairs are an opportunity to inject some color in a space with a lot of wood! On the backsplash, have you ever considered beadboard paneling? My friend Nester did this in her kitchen and it brightened the space significantly! http://www.thenester.com/2010/08/making-over-a-renters-kitchen.html

So Kate wisely swerved me away from grey to pale taupe...thanks Kate!!!  I had a gut feeling that the undertones in the wood cabinets would affect the correct color choice...and she confirmed it.  So there's a tip from Kate to you:  when decorating with wood in a home, wether it be wood cabinets, wood trim or wood floors and you just can't paint it or restain it, you have to consider the undertones.

I really like the idea of painting my table and chairs white....and I would really like to try the pop of color in the chairs idea....but I'm nervous!  So I think I will paint the tables as well as the chairs white (if I can convince my husband - he loves wood, wood and more wood - yeesh!!).

I love her beadboard pannelling idea too!  The link she provided shows how Nester at  {Nesting Place} added beadboard pannelling to her rental kitchen and attached it with.....hot glue!!  No kidding!   Brilliant idea.  I think the beadboard pannelling is going to really make a difference in my space and cover up those boring beige and 'unique' Aztec/Sante Fe'ish tiles.

So, the questions I have for you, dear readers, are:

- Do you agree with Kate's advice?

- Is there a taupe color you have used that you love?

- Ever painted a kitchen table with 6 chairs?  (Seems like a Choca-Lotta work!) 

- Do you have a beadboard pannelled backsplash?  Love it?

:D    Please leave your comments I would really love to hear your thoughts on this!  :D

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Heather